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Scratching is a normal part of cat behavior and serves several functions, including conditioning of the claws, providing a means of stretching, and acting as a marker (both olfactory, or scent, and visual). Cats like to scratch! The act of scratching actually removes frayed and worn outer claws, exposing new, sharper ones.

Cats tend to pick a small number of conspicuous objects in their environments to scratch such as trees, fence posts, the corner of the couch, etc. and return to them repeatedly. This is why the tree next door looks so scratched up and why your cat may find it difficulty to leave your couch alone. The scratched surface leaves a highly visible mark that can be easily seen by other cats. In addition, cats have scent glands in their paws so that when they make scratching movements they leave odor cues that the cats can smell. The fact that cats leave scent marks by making scratching movements may be the reason that cats will continue to try to scratch objects even after they have been declawed. Declawed cats may still be leaving scent marks on objects they scratch.

In some cases, keeping the cat away from the area that is being damaged is the simplest solution to the problem. Another variation is to allow the cat to have access to whatever is being scratched inappropriately, but to make that area unattractive to the cat while making a more appropriate area more attractive. Many the couch because they simply do not have another option to exercise their scratching needs. All cats have a need to scratch and should be provided with appropriate posts to do so. Hopefully, your cat is not scratching but you are trying to pre-empt a problem.

Cats dont understand physical punishment, so hitting me when you catch me scratching on your leather couch is not going to help. Cats like rough surfaces that they can shred to pieces well, you probably already knew that. The solution is to provide legal scratching toys and play with your cats on them so they understand it is ok to scratch there.

Put your and toys in the main areas of traffic flow, where you hang out a lot of the time. Most cats wont make it to the back bedroom when they feel the urge to scratch. Pretend that youre scratching the surface, attack the surface, and encourage your cat to play with you. Its been proven you can actually train your cat to scratch in appropriate places. So start scratching with your cat.

Blastomycosis is a systemic disease which is caused by the fungus, Blastomyces dermatitidis. This fungal infection primarily affects dogs and humans. In humans, the disease is called “Chicago Disease”, “Gilchrist Disease” or “Mycosis”.

The primary mode of transmission of Blastomycosis is through inhalation of the fungal spores. The fungus abounds in the environment-in bodies of water and in the soil-thus most infections occur in dogs which spend a considerable amount of time outdoors. It has been observed that there is a high incidence of Blastomycosis in intact male dogs and large breed dogs. The disease has also been observed to commonly occur in dogs between the ages of 1-5 years old. Certain breeds of dogs are predisposed to the infection. These dog breeds include Labrador Retrievers, Golden Retrievers, Doberman Pinschers, Coonhounds, Pointers, Cocker Spaniels, and Weimaraners.

Once the spores enter the dog’s airways, it stays in the lungs where the infection commences. As the organism multiplies, it spreads to the vascular system and/or lymph nodes.

Blastomycosis infection in dogs is manifested initially by a gradual loss of appetite followed by intermittent fever, weight loss, and depression. Coughing may also be present and usually gets worse as the disease progresses. By this time, the infection may have spread to the nervous system, bones, lymph nodes and skin.

Aside from the physical manifestations of the disease, diagnosis is made based on a complete history and a thorough medical check-up. Your veterinarian will also recommend specific laboratory tests such as complete blood count and biochemical profile. Hypoalbuminemia is the usual result followed by hyperglobulinemia, and hypercalcemia. Radiographic examination of the chest may reveal the so-called “snowstorm pattern” which describes the growth of the yeast. Microscopic examination and staining of cytologic samples can also be done to identify the fungus. Other diagnostic tests which may be conducted include transtracheal wash (TTW), bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL), or fine needle aspiration (FNA) of the lung tissue.

Early detection is very important to prevent the onset of serious complications. The treatment regimen for Blastomycosis includes antifungal medication such as itraconazole, amphotericin-B, Ketoconazole, and Prednisone.

There is no vaccine which can protect your dog against Blastomycosis. In areas where the disease is endemic, limiting the amount of time that your dog spends outside, particularly around bodies of water may help reduce the incidence.

Knowing the early signs of Blastomycosis in dogs and seeking early veterinary attention can increase the chances of a favorable prognosis.

The use of a flea control program can definitely help in alleviating flea problems with your pet dogs. Eleven cans of cat food On the twelfth day of Christmas, the kitties asked of me… Ten new syringes On the eleventh day of Christmas, the kitties asked of me… The fleas dropped off them both by the multitudes in the bathtub. I also liked that the medication leaves their system within 24 hours as a neurotoxin to insects, so it does not harm your cat or dog in any way. Larvae are small and white and rely on adult flea excrement (known as flea dirt – flea dirt is actually dried blood from your pet) for nutrition. If you give your dog a dosage of Cats then in the best case scenario you can expect it to begin killing adult fleas as soon as 30 minutes afterward. These fleas increase in great numbers in a short time frame! Check your pets weekly for flea dirt.

More so, if your cat suffers from any underlying condition. Once applied to your dog it’s stored in the natural oils beneath the dog’s coat. Holistic treatments include: Brewer’s Yeast -grind one to two tablets up – depending upon pets weight- sprinkle over food twice a day (you may want to sprinkle water or broth on this as the dry powder made my dog choke a little). The solution for cats is most often a powder or spray. Sometimes, however, checkups are necessary because of allergic reactions that your cat may have. Boil the rind for at least a half an hour preferably a full hour. There are several over the counter flea treatments available at your local pet store. A 6 month packet starts at around $40 online. I had to open all the windows as it made me feel like I could not breathe.

Two feeding times On the third day of Christmas, the kitties asked of me… Fleas and flea larvae live in warm climates and will live until the ground freezes in cooler climates. This year it was not as bad as it has been but it still was driving my cats crazy and was driving me insane as well. Never treat ?our d?g more than every 3 weeks however, d?e to the harsh chemicals. Here is my review of this wonderful product based on my own successful experience. The first thing I did was throw away that brush, then I immediately went to Walmart and purchased Safe Guard on-spot treatment for dogs and Advantage for cats, both are half the cost of Frontline and according to the veterinarian, Safe Guard has the exact same ingredients.

Pet lovers have a big responsibility in caring for them. Travelling with your cat can be a harrowing experience if the pet doesn’t have a shelter. This is why; cats’ carriers are essential. While at home too, these felines need a carrier with enough space and ventilation.

Importance of Dog Crates

A dog crate or kennel is indispensible for your pet; dogs feel secure in it and quickly learn that it is their own. Providing a protected environment for the dog is the owner’s responsibility. It is useful for travelling, training and comfortable living. Large dogs that are kept outdoors require well-built spacious kennels just like an outdoor cathouse for two or more cats. However, puppies need only small shelters so that they can have a cosy feeling. Without a crate, puppies may roam around the house when there is no one at home and hurt themselves. It can also be dangerous if they chew electrical wiring or eat poisonous plants. Keeping pups in kennels can solve this problem.

Tackling Pup Anxiety

Just like humans, animals too have anxiety issues; however, general apprehension is different from dog anxiety. Often, this occurs when the animal is separated from its earlier owner. It will take some time to get used to the new owner and during this period, separation anxiety is seen. Don’t pamper you pet during these times; ignore him for a while when he wants attention. Let your pet not see you when you leave for work; this way, he will not miss you. Teach him to wait for you; but, never be cruel to him. If you see your puppy crying at night, a stuffed toy or cuddly toys can help tackle his loneliness. Obedience training is actually a preventive measure. Using positive reinforcement techniques can prevent fear in dogs. You can also handle puppy anxiety by encouraging good behaviour and discouraging improper conduct.

Duck and Chicken Homes

A also called the hen pen is very important for these birds. This outdoor protected area helps the birds to roam around safely. They require fresh air and they need to forage for insects and worms. Pens provide enough room for poultry to move around; this is important because overcrowded hens get stressed easily and can even stop laying eggs. Ensure that you install the pen in an area where there is enough grass; otherwise, you will have to provide the feed. Duck homes are similar to chicken houses and are available online. However, if you have many ducks, then it is better to build a simple shelter that is predator-proof. However, these birds cannot be caged often. They have to be in water or run around within the pen.

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This article written by an expert author who is working for Petz Podz. Petz Podz provide online high quality pets Homes like ,Bunny Hutch and . To know more about us then please visit at www.petzpodz.com

Traveling to far distinct places surely means that you are leaving your dog in the house. In such cases, it is very important to find suitable methods to keep your dog safely when you are alone. Many of the people usually keep their dogs within their relatives house. However, if you dont have such houses to keep your dog safe then you can try dog boarder. These cages allow you a clean, simple and comfortable option to keep your dog safely. However, as there are many models of best dog boarders available in the market it is very important to choose the best dog boarder for your dogs.

When looking for a dog boarding facility, consider the following:

Location you do not really want to travel too far to board your dog since your dog will pick up on your anxiety on the way to the dog boarder location, meaning a worrying journey for you and your pet. At the same time, you want to be able to pick up your dog relatively soon after you arrive home, thus try your best to find the best dog boarder facility within your local area.

Cleanliness above all else, you need for check for cleanliness at a dog boarding location. Make sure that you visit the whole facility, not only the reception area, so that you are able to see the exact location where dogs are kept.

Cleanliness is a very important standard for pets. It is important for you to check the level of cleanliness of the boarding facility before handing over the dog you love so much. Check bedding, food tins and floor surfaces for any signs of dirt and grime. Bacteria, like in humans, can cause pets to fall sick, and I mean terribly sick. Also ensure that you ask the staff at the facility about cleaning methods they use and ascertain if such methods are efficient and noteworthy. Potential health risks like kennel cough and canine influenza can attack your pets and ultimately cause death if nothing is done about it. The best dog boarder should have this standard.

Make inquiries about vaccination. Vaccination, like in humans, is meant to protect dogs from sicknesses that mainly prevail amongst dogs that are kept in similar kennels. Some of the best dog boarder facilities may try to avoid a situation where you check on vaccinations by assuring you of a promise they know will not have to be proven by documentary evidence. So be sure to ask the vet to produce documentation concerning vaccination and such documentation must have contactable references. Without a measure of this nature the facility you thought was the best dog boarder will turn out to be the worst.

Back pain is common in mature dogs and anyone who has witnessed an older dog struggle to arise or even refuse to stand after lying down realizes the discomfort hip diseases cause these dogs to endure. Whether from injury, joint problems, disease, or aging, your dog may have to deal with acute or chronic pain. Pain management in dogs is an area where vast differences exist among veterinarians.

Most dogs that are experiencing pain will change their behavior patterns. You will notice that the dog is reluctant to climb stairs. Your pet will become more withdrawn or inactive. The dog will react negatively to being held or picked up. The dog may be unwilling to turn his head or seems to be guarding itself from movement or looses interest in interacting with its environment. These subtle changes may be the only way your dog will communicate a need for pain management assistance.

The best pain management strategy comes from a partnership between the dogs owner and the attending veterinarian. The veterinarian must tune in to what you tell them about the dogs behavior and activity. This will greatly aid in the correct diagnosis into the process causing the pain. Then a course of treatment and pain management can be determined.

The veterinarian has several classes of prescription drugs available to provide pain relief. They will choose the correct type of medication based on the severity of pain associated with the cause. Chronic pain often requires a combination of medications to provide relief and still maintain quality of life.

There is mounting evidence that body manipulation and massage can noticeably decrease discomfort and improve function in many dogs. This is especially true in diseases of the spinal cord affecting the rear legs and diseases of the hips. As the medication reduces the levels of pain, you can help the dog regain confidence by providing weight support and by stabilizing the hip joint.

The Walkabout Harness is designed to support a portion of the dogs hind legs while allowing them to walk with you. It is a valuable tool. The Walkabout Harness helps improvement of circulation and the strengthening of muscles. Low-level electrical current to nerves and muscle-motor fibers via electrodes placed on the skin (TENS) is effective in the muscle spasms found in intervertebral disc disease. The Walkabout Harness is also helpful in cases where spinal cord disease has cause loss of function to the rear legs. Homemade devises are rarely as effective and may actually cause harm.

SenioprPetProducts.com features dog food supplements, dog vitamins and various other products that help the pets stay healthy as they grow older. The company has also provided an online platform for pet owners and experts to discuss issues concerning the senior pets.

Deworming cats is usually an crucial and well-liked way of ridding tapeworms in cats or other nasty buggers. It’s important to have an comprehend, nevertheless, from the products and methods related with deworming cats in order to safeguard your cat or kitten from creating factors worse.

The initial and most significant step is to properly diagnose the problem together with your cats. You have to guarantee that your difficulty is indeed connected to tapeworms in cats. If your cat has a further dilemma, the therapy could in fact make factors worse. Praziquantel is actually a drug that may be applied to rid cats of tapeworms. This drug is actually a poison; powerful enough to kill the tapeworm, but weak adequate that it will not hurt your cat. Even so, if your cat has a bug that is misdiagnosed for a tapeworm, its weakened immune system may not be in a position to handle the poison effectively, making matters worse. Also, you will discover an awesome selection of goods applied for deworming cats, but none of them will essentially kill all types of worms. So ensure that you’re working with the appropriate product for the job.

You will discover a multitude of goods obtainable to select from. You no longer need to buy the costly prescription medication. You may truly order it from most pet stores on the market. A single product that is certainly very common is called Tape Worm Tabs by Tradewinds.

Be cautious when deworming cats if your cat is young. Kittens do not have fully created immune systems and organs and some goods could be potentially hazardous to them. When you have a kitten, it’s very recommended to possess a conversation together with your vet just before performing something. Also, tapeworms pose an incredible threat to kittens than to cats for precisely the same causes.

Use this facts to make sure that you are deworming cats effectively. Be sure to appropriately diagnose the circumstance by seeking the proper symptoms, consult your vet, and deworming cats correctly. There are many articles readily available that can assist you to diagnose your cat properly for tapeworms, but I’ll give you a number of guidelines and things to look for that could potentially mean that you simply cat might have tapeworms. Some symptoms consist of vomiting, loss of weight, change of appetite, and a modify of personality. Also look for tapeworm segments around your cat’s anus or litter box. Tapeworm segments look like small pieces of flat rice. These are the reproductive leftovers with the tapeworm and a clear indicator that your cat has tapeworms.

For those who adhere to these steps in deworming cats, you’ll want to have no problems at all.

Anemia in cats is a condition that occurs when there is not enough hemoglobin or red blood cells produced. It is not a disease, but merely a symptom of an underlying condition or disease. So, what exactly causes it?

Causes

Many things can cause this condition. The kidneys are responsible for producing hormones that stimulate red blood cell production. So, kidney disease is one of the most common causes. Parasites such as ticks, fleas, and hookworms are another leading cause.

Anemia in cats can also be the result of a traumatic injury. This happens when the trauma causes damage to blood vessels or internal organs. Serious diseases such as feline immunodeficiency or leukemia virus may also be to blame. Other causes include ingestion of chemicals, toxins, or cancer.

Symptoms

Your cat’s gums, tongue, and nose normally have a pink color. If he has anemia, these areas will lose their normal color. Instead, they will appear to be pale. Also, your cat will likely be lethargic if he has this condition.

Treatment

As you already know, anemia in cats isn’t a disease but a sign of an underlying problem. Therefore, the underlying condition will have to be treated in order to treat the anemia. A blood transfusion may be required until the cause can be treated effectively. Medications that stimulate the production of hormones responsible for red blood cell production will also help.

Prognosis

Most cats are able to recover from anemia without problems. However, this condition can be caused by some serious diseases. In these cases, anemia will be one of the least problems to worry about.

Besides anemia, there are many other conditions that can affect your cat like . You should be knowledgeable about these various conditions so you can get your cat treated quickly if he’s affected. Luckily, cat-illnesses.com provides just what you need. So, stop by today to learn about a wide range of .

Finding out that you are allergic to your beloved cat can be devastating. Here is information that will help you manage your allergies and hopefully keep your cat.

1. What is it about cats that cause allergies to flare? Contrary to popular belief that it’s the hair, the culprit is the protein (Fel d1) found in cat dander, saliva, and urine. No one knows why, but if you have sensitivity to this protein being exposed to can trigger reactions that range from irritating to debilitating.

2. Can cat hair trigger an allergy flare-up? The hair does not contain the protein, so in a word no. But it can seem that way because dander (which does contain the offending protein) often stick to the air and other airborne particles. And so contact with the hair that has dander on it can make it appear that the hair is the culprit.

3. Can bathing the cat reduce dander? Yes, scheduling a regular schedule for baths with a veterinarian recommended shampoo can reduce the amount that potentially go airborne and be inhaled. Be prepared for your cat’s disapproval, but hopefully with a regular schedule it will be come a routine that you both can literally live with.

4. Does Color Matter? There was a small study conducted several years ago whose findings indicated that dark-colored felines produced more dander than those with lighter fur. Without other studies to support it, this theory is inconclusive.

5. Does Sex Matter? Male cats are known to produce more allergy triggers than female. So if you have been identified as having allergies, this is an important piece of information to have as you adopt or add to the family.

6. Is there a way to stop the production of dander? These small flakes of dead skin that we call dander are a natural part of your cat’s growth and development. This is the body’s way of making way for newer healthier skin that will be more able to ward off disease and infection. This is a process that will continue for as long as you have your kitty.

7. Is there an effective way to manage the allergy symptoms well enough to be able to enjoy a cat? No one thing will work, but using a multi-pronged approach will greatly improve your quality.

Make one room a clean room that is off limits for your pet. Anticipate flare-ups by using over the counter medication or prescriptions from your allergist.

You should also use a HEPA or high efficiency particle arresting air cleaner to constantly reduce the allergens in the air. 24 hour filtration with this type of technology is by far the most effective and non-invasive way to deal with your allergies.

The lap dog is a type of dog that is so small it can be held in your arms with ease. They are cute dogs that can be carried around like an accessory. They are usually owned by people who like having their pet with them all the time.

Lap dogs first made their appearance in society among the high class individuals. They were portrayed as gentle companion dogs that kept people amused during leisure time. These laid-back types of dogs simply enjoy to be cuddled and to be played with, but yet again, which dog doesn’t?

Pug

The Pug is a very demanding and sensitive lap dog. He needs constant attention and caressing. If you are always busy or simply can’t stand your dog following you everywhere then the Pug is not the dog for you. Also they love sitting on the furniture.

This type of dog is very sensitive to weather conditions. You should be really careful when taking him out for a walk. Pugs really prefer sitting indoors, where they will try and mark their territory. Overall the cuteness of this dog comes at the price of a stubborn pet.

Chihuahua

A dog bread as a companion pet, the Chihuahua is an excellent dog for people who simply want an amusing pet with which they can cuddle up. They love the attention and get great satisfaction from pleasing their owner. They do this by performing tricks or by simply acting silly.

Ideal for the apartment, these types of dogs will be happy living in a restrained space. But, like all dogs they should get their share of outside time, preferably when it is warm and sunny. If walking him is a bother, they can be trained to use a litter box. All in all, they are excellent lap dogs.

Pomeranian

This small fluffy type of dog is amongst the more energetic lap dog breeds. He is eager to learn from his owners and simply attract their attention through all kinds of activities. A key element is to teach him who is the boss. A firm hand is strongly advised.

Once he is well educated, this type of dog will bring lots of joy in your life. He is a great dog for an apartment and will love to both play and cuddle. It all depends on what you want him to do. Pomeranians are excellent family dogs.

We just saw that lap dogs are affectionate creatures that love their masters. They will gladly perform any task needed but they will demand lots of care and attention.